Gregory M.A. Gronbacher, Ph.D.
Gregory is a West Michigan–based real estate professional, educator, writer, and independent scholar.
Since 2014, he has served clients in residential real estate sales and advising, and he also teaches real estate licensing and continuing education as a state-certified instructor.
Additionally, Gregory’s background includes over 25 years as a digital copywriter and editor, and a decade at Amway as a web editor on a UI/UX core team—experience that continues to shape his clear, structured approach to communication.
Educated in Ireland and Europe, Gregory earned his Ph.D. in Social Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin, with research focused on social philosophy and political economy, and he also completed graduate studies in philosophy and political economy at the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein. His undergraduate studies were in theology, philosophy, and politics.
Gregory’s philosophical and theological work is grounded in Celtic philosophy and in contemporary forms of Celtic spiritual ecology that emphasize interconnectedness, attentiveness to the natural world as a spiritual touchstone, and the presence of embedded meaning within lived experience. His work approaches spirituality as a reflective practice concerned with existential and normative questions—how meaning is discerned, sustained, and embodied within an interconnected world.
Alongside this intellectual work, he maintains a personal commitment to simplicity and minimalism, understood not as an aesthetic posture but as a disciplined way of living that supports clarity, attentiveness, and depth.
Beyond his academic work, Gregory’s writing includes a soon-to-be-released novel, It’s All in the Game, as well as previously published poetry.
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Career Overview
Greenridge Realty
Grand Rapids, MI 2014 - Present
Real Estate Sales & AdvisingMILicense.net (Real Estate School)
Grand Rapids, MI 2014 - Present
Real Estate Licensing InstructorFreelance Digital Copywriting
Grand Rapids, MI 1999 – Present
(Principal) Digital Copywriting / EditingAmway Corporation
Ada, MI 2004 – 2014
Web Editor - UI/UX Core TeamSummit Training Source
Grand Rapids, MI 1999 - 2004
Strategic Communications Director -
Education
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland (1992-1996)
Ph.D. in Social PhilosophyResearch focused on social philosophy and political economy. Areas of concentration included social ethics, Western cultural thought, and liberalism.
International Academy of Philosophy
Schaan, Liechtenstein (1991-1992)
M.Phil in Philosophy and Political EconomyStudies focused on contemporary continental philosophy, including personalism and phenomenological realism.
Franciscan University
Steubenville, Ohio (1987-1990)
BA in Theology, Philosophy, and PoliticsStudies included personalism, phenomenological realism, political philosophy, and Western social thought.
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University Teaching
Mount Aloysius College
Cresson, PA 1997 - 1999
Assistant Professor, PhilosophyMilltown Institute
Dublin, Ireland 1992 – 1999
University Lecturer in PhilosophyMaynooth University
Maynooth, Ireland 1992 - 1996
Visiting Lecturer of Philosophy (Adjunct)All Hallows College
Dublin, Ireland 1994 - 1996
Visiting Lecturer of Philosophy (Adjunct) -
Training & Certifications
Academic Writing with AI
Oxford University Language Centre - 2024Artificial Intelligence & Real Estate
Residential Real Estate Council - 2024AI Essentials & Business Use
IBM - 2023AI Ethics & Creative Writing
University of Michigan - 2023UI/UX Usability Analyst
Human Factors International - 2013Digital Copywriting
Mediabistro - 2012User Centric Design
Michigan State University - 2012
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Affiliations
• The Iona Community
Iona Abbey, Scotland
Associate Member - 2023• Mercy for Animals
Global Advocate for Farm Animals
Supporting Member - 2014• Institute for Christian Personalism
The Netherlands
Scholar Member - 2019• The Westar Institute
Historical Christianity Research Institute
Affiliated Scholar - 2019• Minimalist Movement
Committed to Less Is More
Member - 2016• Progressive Christian Alliance
Member - 2014 -
Independent Studies
History of Christianity in Scotland
Online Course - 2022
University of Glasgow, ScotlandIrish Cultural Studies
Online Postgraduate Diploma - 2022
University College Galway, IrelandEarly Irish Christianity
Online Learning Program - 2021
University College Cork, IrelandIrish Spirituality & Culture
Ongoing Guided Study - 2020 to present
Disart Centre of Irish Spirituality & Culture
Dingle, IrelandCeltic Mythology & Religion
Online Graduate Celtic Studies Program - 2020
Cardiff University, WalesHistory of the Celtic Peoples
Oxford Online Post-Graduate Program - 2019
Oxford University, UK -
Cultural
Of Irish and English ancestry, Gregory engages with the following organizations:
American Irish Historical Society
Documenting, preserving, and promoting the story of the Irish in America.Cornwall Cultural Association
Supports the preservation of and learning about Cornish culture.The New English Art Club (NEAC)
Henry Scott Tuke AssociationThe Celtic League
An inter-Celtic organization that campaigns for the political, linguistic, cultural, and social rights of the Celtic nations.Irish American Heritage Center
Preserving Irish history, art, and culture.Moreover, Gregory has traced much of his ancestry
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